Islands Newspapers

How War and Socialism Killed Territories Journals

THE Australian Territories of Papua and New Guinea are without news papers of their own. This is partly the result of the Japanese invasion, and nartlv the result of the socialisation of the Territories by the Australian Govern ment.

Until 1942, there were three newspapers in the Territories —the “Papuan Courier’’, published in Port Moresby by Mr. E. A.

James; the “Rabaul Times”, published in Rabaul bv a company, and edited by MV Gordon Thomas; and the newly est ablished “Morobe News”, which was pub lished in Lae New Guinea.

Those newspaper plants were destroyed by war operations and the respective org anisation's entirely wiped out. It was hoped that, with the restoration of Civil Government, the publishing offices would be restored, because both Territories really do need local newspaper service.

But newspapers cannot be produced as a self-supporting enterprise unless they can sell advertising space to a reasonably prosperous business community, which buys advertising space.

Because of the attack made —and still continuing—on private enterprise by the Australian Government, there is no pros perous business community in either Paoua or New Guinea, nor is there likely to be. Consequently although’ the pos sibility of restoring the newspapers has been examined two or three times since the surrender of Japan, nothing has been done.

The need has been met to some extent by the circulation in the Territories of the “Pacific Islands Monthly.” The “PIM” however, is published only once a month, and its distribution is frequently delayed for weeks by the lamentable political and industrial conditions existing in Australia, which constantly dislocate shipping and mail services.

In Rabaul, Port Moresby, Wewak, etc., attempts have been made by the European communities to meet the need by circu lating news-sheets each week, produced by typewriter and duplicating machines.

These give some idea of what is hap pening in the world, but they do not by any means take the place of a well edited newspaper.

Nauru, another war-blasted territory that is struggling back to normality, also has a news-sheet. The Administration since October last has been regularly publishing the “Nauru Times”—a well edited compilation which gives an excel lent rntline of the week’s news. It is evidently a labour of love, and the Nauruan community should be grateful to the editor. His main trouble seems to be the uncertainty of paper supplies He is not the only one. Australian pub lishers to-day are paying three times pre war prices for their paper—and supplies cannot be sighted more than three or four months ahead.

Mr. R. H. Garvey, formerly a well known officer of the Western Pacific Commission service, is at present on leave in England, with Mrs. Garvey, and their three children. Mr. Garvey, a few years ago, went from the Resident Commission ership (Acting) in Gilbert and Ellice Islands to a post in Central Africa; and thence to St. Vincent, in the West Indies, where he is Administrator. Mr. Garvey was the last RC to occupy the large, white Residency on top of Ocean Island, before it was blown to pieces by Japanese bombs.